Police waded into the Ohio River yesterday to fish out a suspect who had jumped in after witnesses said he had fired shots on North Charles Street.

Police identified the man as 25-year-old Charles Payne. A silver pistol still was on Mr. Payne's person when four officers went in the river to get him.

No injuries were reported to the suspect, nor to any of the officers.

Cmdr. RaShall Brackney said witnesses told police that about a half hour before the river incident, a black man wearing a white T-shirt and dark pants had been seen running from the 2100 block of North Charles Street after a report of gunfire.

Within minutes, police on motorcycles saw the suspect running toward the North Shore near the Carnegie Science Center.

He plunged into the water with police close on his trail, then began discarding personal items from his pockets, including suspected drugs, police said.

Eventually, four officers waded in to take him into custody. The suspect struggled against their efforts to arrest him.

Charges are pending, she said.